Still I Rise
by Fayalargo Winterwoelfin
Summary: No romance, but friendship can be complicated enough sometimes. Ch.9 up: Some Bladebreakers are trying to cook with Dizzi's ...help and there is only one word fit for description: Complete and utter chaos!
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade

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**Prologue**

_Dragoon…help me! _

Tyson prayed, fervently wishing for the consoling presence of his bitbeast and friend and clutching the blade in his pocket tightly.

As if it would help.

Small drops of sweat formed on his temples and on the palm of his hands. His lips were pressed in a tight grimace and his brow was furrowed over his closed eyes.

_Dragoon…please…_ _help me…_

It really was ridiculous. Not even before a crucial battle had he ever been _that_ nervous.

_Dragoon…_

But he couldn't help it.

The low, tense chattering in the waiting room was eating on his nerves, adding to the throbbing pain in his jaw. The stench of antiseptic brought nausea to his clenched and empty stomach. He felt like he hadn't eaten for days. He had to bring this behind him or he would never eat again.

_Dragoon…_

A hollow voice called his name out in the speaker.

Tyson jerked. All blood left his face. Slowly, with a dreadful feeling, he opened his eyes. With jelly knees he stood up. He didn't notice that the edges of his blade had drawn blood from his palm.

_Dragoon… help me…_

For a moment he stood waveringly. The exit was so close… so tempting… he just had to turn right, go through that door.

But no… the pain in his jaw… this path would lead him nowhere. He had to go forward. Pass through doors straight ahead.

For the first time in his life, he wanted to flee.

Not just run away, but in horror and panic without thinking make his feet carry his body away.

The world silently swayed around him. Colours blurred and shapes grew indistinct. The edges of his vision blackened.

Oh no.

_Dragoon!_ Tyson cried silently, still standing motionless. _Don't let me faint! Not faint! Not faint! Dragoon, help me!_

He only could hear the strong, frantic beating of his heart, see the blood rushing through his veins, feel the blade in his hand warming with Dragoon's presence.

Then his vision cleared a little. He felt like packed in cotton. Bouffant white clouds surrounded his vision. As if in a dream he took one step, a second step, until he reached the door. His hand reached up. Opened.

While his body entered the room, his eyes blinded by the whiteness of the walls, the smocks of doctors and assistants, the tables and the chairs, he hovered somewhere above it all in the detached land of naked horror.

His body sat down in the stool and the doctor came. He greeted him friendly, shook his hand and then settled down on his little chair beside Tyson. He told him to open his mouth. Tyson's mouth opened. Pain surged through his head, but was too frightened to really feel it. However, in a detached way, he was a little surprised. He couldn't remember anyone ever telling him to open his mouth.

He was abruptly called back into his body when the doctor lowered an instrument into his oral cavity.

"So, boy, this is going to hurt a little…"

_Dragoooooooon ! _Tyson cried one last time and then the pain came.

He returned to the Dojo, feeling extremely exhausted, but extremely victorious as well. There was pain everywhere in his jaw and teeth and head, but at least: it was over.

Time for celebration.

His friends were out in the garden, as expected. Hilary, Kenny, Max and Rei were bent over the laptop; he heard the faint noise of Dizzi's metallic voice mingled with their slight chuckles. He wondered what kind of analysis they were making that was so funny, but, honestly, he didn't really care at the moment. He had just survived the worst ever experience in his life, his bravery was to be admired by everyone. Really, the fight at the World Championships against Tala had been nothing.

Tyson wasn't surprised to find the last of his team-mates, Kai, who always had been a bit of a loner, leaning cross-armed at one column of the Dojo's porch, a little bit away from the others, but at a distance where he could comfortably observe everything the others did. He was the first to notice Tyson's unusually quiet entrance.

Normally the whole neighbourhood would have heard him shouting, but not today. His mouth was bandaged with a white cloth that held a cool-pack to his cheek. It somewhat prevented him from opening it. Not to speak of the pain this would cause.

Kai greeted him as coolly as always (when he decided to acknowledge the bluehead's presence), but Tyson could have sworn that he saw the tiniest glint of a twinkle in the grey eyes of his team-mate. Somehow it made him feel uneasy. Kai wasn't usually one to joke around… maybe he had imagined it, though he couldn't explain why he should imagine the likes of it. Maybe he hoped that the calm and solitary team member would warm up to him a little.

"Oh, hello Tyson…" Nerd Kenny looked up from the laptop, an unruly mess of brown hair hanging deeply in his face that only the rims of his glasses were visible. "How was your visit to the dentist?" he asked, always the polite guy.

Tyson 'hmph'ed. What kind of question was that? Of course, he felt dreadful. He didn't even have to fake a pained expression. He wondered if the strange note he had heard in Kenny's voice had been a chuckle. He thought rather not, but his schoolmate Hilary's comment took him so completely off guard that he stopped dead in his tracks.

"You look _so_ cute with that bandage around your head!" the skinny girl with bad taste in clothing, his classmate and constant pain in the ass chanted painfully loud and jovial.

What had she just said! He looked cute!

A howl rose in his throat, only restrained by the bandage around his mouth. She was unbearable!

He felt the heat of anger rise into his cheeks and, unable to vent it, he glared at the stupid girl, who happened to be the best in class.

If only Kai, the cold-hearted bastard could have kept his mouth shut!

"I don't think you are cute…" he said calmly, with a haughty, mean squint at Tyson. "But it relieves us from your constant bragging and shouting."

What! Tyson couldn't believe what he was hearing. They didn't have the right to make fun of him! Not now, when he felt pain like never before. He felt his vision blackening again. He closed his eyes and drew in a deep calming breath. He heard some worried words coming from the mouths of his true friends Rei and Max. He concentrated on staying upright and waited until the dizziness faded, before he reopened his eyes.

Everybody was laughing at him!

He was speechless (this time truly), and only because he couldn't stomp his foot on the ground and shout at his friends, he turned around and fled into the dojo, all the while clutching his beyblade tightly.

_Dragoon!_

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A/N: This is a reviewed version of the prologue... 


	2. Talking Bitbeasts

Disclaimer: I don't own it

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**Chapter 1**

A few days later.

"It was not nice of you to laugh at my suffering." Tyson said, at the end of a very quiet dinner. He let out a contented belch that resounded in the stunned silence of the others. He was just happy at the moment, having successfully indulged in one of his most favourite hobbies: eating his fair (triple) share of the pizza they had ordered. Additionally, beyblading had gone well today, so now he only missed the last of his hobbies: talking much and loudly. After the incident at the dentist he had barely spoken to his friends, but right now, with a full stomach and the nagging pain that had been following him in the past few days in his tooth gone, he felt generous and decided to no longer bear a grudge and to sort it out.

Kai was the first to react to his statement. He groaned. "He talks again…"

"Great!" Max yelled one moment later. "Tyson talks to us again!" The blonde boy danced around the table in joy. He hugged his friend cheerfully. "Wonderful!"

Tyson nodded smugly. "Yeah… I know you all can't live without me!"

Kai rolled his eyes in a truly desperate gesture.

Tyson eyed his friends sternly. "There is only one little thingy we have to sort out…"

His friends eyed each other uneasily for Tyson was obviously referring to the incident after the dentist.

"Well..." Kenny started, squinting at Max, hoping that the cheerful blonde could say something suitably nice. He was closest of all to Tyson.

But evidently Draciel's blader didn't know what to say either, for he only continued: "Well…", while he looked help-seekingly at Rei. The Chinese neko-jin seemed equally reluctant in answering, but he was better in concealing it. He glanced at Kai with a questioning eyebrow raised.

Kai uttered an indifferent "Hn" so Rei looked at Hilary, who looked back at Kenny, completing the circle.

Tyson tapped his foot impatiently on the floor.

"I'm waiting…" he chose to let the tinge of threat colour his voice.

The other boys and Hilary glanced at each other again (except of Kai, who looked as if he couldn't care less), then, as if reaching a silent understanding, all of their gazes suddenly settled on Dizzi.

The bitbeast in the laptop chuckled softly at their unease. Humans could be so childish. She let several terse seconds pass, before she chose to answer the scowling Tyson.

"They laughed at you, Tyson, because you panicked… at the dentist…" the laptop seemed unable to hold her amusement back. She chuckled. The Bladebreakers seemed taken aback by the laptop's lapse in diplomacy and Tyson yelled, jumping out of his chair, propping his hands on the table. "What! I didn't panic! Not the slightest bit! Who dares to say such things! I was as calm as a sleeping bitbeast!"

"Sure you were…" Dizzi seemed positively unconvinced. "Why then do you think Dragoon repeatedly called for my help, because he didn't know what to do when you were about to faint?"

Tyson's mouth stood open in astonishment: "What! No…How…Grrr." He turned, ready to storm off again, but Rei, who had been sitting nearest to him, grabbed his arm and held him back.

"Tyson…please, sit down again… She…" Rei shot an angry look at Dizzi. He disliked the occasionally contra productive behaviour of Kenny's bitbeast.

Tyson noticed that everyone, except Kai of course, glared at the laptop, and immediately he felt calmed in his anger and sat down again, demanding an explanation.

"Hey, don't look at me so accusing." The laptop complained. "It's not my fault Tyson can't bear the truth…Tyson, now, don't scowl at ME! Your Dragoon kept calling me every few minutes while you were at the dentist! I could barely concentrate on the training! Not that there was much that you could call skilful training anyway..." She added as an afterthought.

"Whaaaat ! Dizzi!" There was a collective angry yelp of Kai, Rei and Max, that resounded through the kitchen.

Tyson could almost hear the smirk in Dizzi's voice that matched his own as she went on talking: "Calm down, guys … I didn't mean it personally. Really. But you have to agree, you really still do need a lot of training... Don't get me wrong, please, but if you can't take even slight criticism, then you should better not ask me what your bitbeast talk about you… Dizzi's metallic voice suddenly wavered, "Ehm… No reason to grow so pale, guys… and… please… be so kind as to lower your fists, won't you… You wouldn't harm an unarmed laptop…?"

Kai, Max and Rei emitted a loud growl that bespoke her words a lie. Kenny wasn't sure which side to take and looked almost like a turtle with his head drawn in deeply between his shoulders.

Dizzi, suddenly unsure of herself, made a noise that very closely resembled a swallowing as the boys still held their fists clenched: "Hey, guys…"

Kenny was torn between being protective of his laptop or being frightened of his team-mates.

Tyson harshly dissolved the tense situation. "Let her talk..." the bluenette ordered.

The others lowered their fist the slightest bit, after all, their aim was to make peace with Tyson. Dizzi dared to respire. She quickly thought of a way to resolve the situation, calming the boy's wrath without having to take her words back, but Tyson continued already, his voice impatient and angry: "What do you mean: Dragoon 'called' you? Do the blades now have an intrinsic telephone or what?"

"Telephone?" Dizzi was genuinely surprised, "Surely not! Did you really think we would need something like that?" She paused, then thought to proceed with the original plan, as the fists of three Bladebreakers were still raised towards her. "We bitbeasts are in our blades, or, in my case, in our laptop out of our free will. We act out of respect for our holders..."

The bladers around the table relaxed visibly.

" …though I don't know how Dragoon, Draciel, Drigger and Dranzer came to respect you four dunderheads of all people…"

The bladers around the table tensed again, shooting death glares at Dizzi.

"I, for myself," Dizzi continued quickly, "choose to live inside Kenny's laptop, because he is by far the most (and only) intelligent of you all..."

As a response, Kenny smiled proudly and closed his arms protectively around his laptop, shielding it from the death glares and fists of the other team members. A smiley with an outstretched tongue and a smirk appeared on the screen for a short moment, but (fortunately for Dizzi) no one noticed.

"Dizzi has a good point," Hilary stated wisely, smiling generously at Kenny, and looking especially significantly at Tyson whom she deemed as extraordinarily stupid and lazy.

Now, Hilary, as well as Kenny and Dizzi, got her share of the death glares. Kai definitely had taught them something, if not beyblading, Dizzi thought.

"Of course I have a good point," she agreed, "Unless you haven't noticed, I am always right. And I really don't want to sound presuming … hmhm. I might not be the most powerful of bitbeasts, at least not when it comes to raw force, but still, I should not be underestimated. My true strength lies in my intelligence and my wisdom and I…"

"Yes, yes, Dizzi, we know," Tyson interrupter her impatiently, "back to the important things…how and why did Dragoon call you?"

Dizzi kept quiet for a few seconds, enjoying Tyson's fidgeting. The other three bladers sat with their arms crossed, staring pointedly away from her, their expressions so very Kai-like that they could have been clones. Kenny's and Hilary's glances flicked between Tyson, Dizzi, and themselves, both blushing slightly and quickly looking away when their eyes met for the parts of a second.

Dizzi started to answer Tyson's question: "How we do communicate? That's pretty easy, how do you communicate?" she paused for a moment, before giving the answer, "We talk to each other! Don't look at me this stupidly, Tyson, what did you expect? We don't talk as noticeably as you do, though faster. And no, it's not telepathy. Us, being spirits of energy, and by the way, being very strong spirits of energy, far too powerful for y…"

Dizzi stopped for a second and reconsidered what she had been about to say.

"Never mind… we five, Drigger, Dranzer, Dragoon, Draciel and my humble self are very powerful spirits. We can expand that power of us to a certain distance. It's like we are stretching a feeler of energy to seek for the energy of another spirit. Naturally, the more powerful a bitbeast is, the farther he/she can stretch this feeler to contact another bitbeast.

And the better you know the spirit you seek, the greater the distance between can be. Your bitbeasts, for example, can reach each other around the world, because we are so close to each other. The distance between us doesn't matter anymore."

The Bladebrakers had forgotten their grudge on Dizzi and were all listening intently on what she said. Even Kai's face showed some sign of interest.

Rei raised a hand: "If I get that right, Dizzi, you and Drigger could have been in contact all the while the Bladebreakers were split up and scattered around various continents…"

Kai nodded and Dizzi confirmed their theory: "That was the case. We stayed in contact to check up on our friends. Due to your and our training together, you have formed a strong bond of friendship, which had intensified the connection of your bitbeasts, us, as well. How do you think, Tyson, you would have won the World Championship in Russia against Tala, if not Dranzer and Draciel had helped Dragoon and joined in the fight against Tala…"

The bladers around the table shifted at the mention of the Demolition Boys.

"I thought the bitbeasts couldn't hear us, because they were trapped in another's blade." Max interjected. "At least that's what Kai told me."

"Kai was right," Dizzi answered, "They couldn't hear you, but each other. When Dragoon finally came and managed to free Draciel and Dranzer from Tala's grip, they immediately joined their forces together in order to defeat Wolborg. "

"So we owe the thwarting of Voltaire's evil plans to the friendship of our bit beasts…" Rei said.

"But," Max asked, "If our bitbeasts are so strong, then why were the Demolition Boys ever able to take them away from us?"

"A bit beast needs much strength when fighting other bit beasts." Kai added, stunned into speaking by Max' ignorance.

"If you recall when the bit beasts have been stolen, you will notice that this was only possible after you were defeated," Dizzi answered. "After a battle the bitbeast as well as the blader is weakened, so no one could help when the Demolition Boys claimed their victory's prize. It was pretty shocking for Drigger and me, when in the end we alone remained, when Tyson was fighting Tala."

"I thought Drigger left after the end of our battle against Bryan and Falborg." Rei interrupted.

"Well, she did," Dizzi answered, "leave you and your blade, because she saw herself unable to protect you anymore. She needed to regain her power before returning. But as she by all means wanted to see the battle between Wolborg and Dragoon, she came to my laptop so I could help her watch. She was in a really bad state when arrived…"

"She saved my live in Russia…"the neko-jin softly said, sincere gratitude in his voice.

"She did…" Dizzi smiled, "But it was really Bryan's stupidity that lost the fight. Bryan attacking you was the worst mistake he could've made. It made Drigger much stronger than she originally was. Nothing is more dangerous than an irate tigress defending her cubs, isn't it? By the way, she came over her injuries pretty fast, as she discovered that I'm not so bad a nursemaid. My treatment brought her back to strength far before she would have regenerated her strength normally and I…"

"You, a nursemaid!" Tyson's disbelieving voice interrupted Dizzi's self-praise.

"Well, yes…" the laptop answered, scandalized, "what did you think?"

"Ha!" Tyson exclaimed, "I only knew you as the lady of biting sarcasm…"

"The lady of biting sarcasm will tell you something! In fact, _I _was the one who helped you out at the dentist when you were frightened to death. Dragoon was so very concerned about your state and almost panicked as well when you were about to faint, because he didn't know how he could support you. And you were constantly calling to him for help! Even if he is one of the most ancient and powerful bit beasts, he has never encountered a situation like this…"

"And you have?" Tyson asked doubtfully, quickly steering away and playing over the burning embarrassment that accumulated in his chest. Kenny answered in Dizzi's stead. He shook his head: "Not exactly, but she has been living in diverse alchemistic and shamanistic artefacts before, so she has quite the experience in healing."

"Wow, how do you know that?" Tyson asked. He was concentrating only with a small part of his mind on the conversation. The major part of it was being busy with keeping the heat out of his cheeks.

"I asked her."

Kai chuckled at Tyson's sheepish grimace and murmured: "Dunderhead…"

"Whaaaaat!" Tyson yelled at Kai, who seemed very unimpressed by his team-mate's outburst.

"Did Dragoon ask the other bit beasts as well?" Hilary inquired in her best know-it-all voice as Tyson has calmed down.

"Yes, he did."

"And?"

"Tyson is not going to like the answer … "

"Come on, please tell us." Tyson wouldn't have been surprised to find Hilary smirking evilly.

Dizzi let out a theatric sigh, waiting till everybody was listening impatiently.

"Dragoon did ask Dranzer, Draciel and Drigger as well, but unfortunately they couldn't help him. None of their holders has ever panicked this severely before…."

Everybody was now looking at the beet-red Tyson. If they now started laughing again, Tyson thought…

They did.

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A/N: I'm always happy about reviews 


	3. Kai Feeling Guilty

Disclaimer: I don't own it

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**Chapter 2**

Kai, who had only chuckled alongside his laughing friends, stood up from his stool and went to the porch door, that opened into a warm summernight. A thoughtful-brooding look was on his face and he remained standing there and looked out into the garden. He had his arms crossed over his chest and his long scarf swayed softly in the fragrant breeze.

Max yawned and stretched his arms over his head: "I'm going to bed…" his speech was already coming out blurred, "Kai sure'll call off 'morrows early training session, won't ya Kai?"

Kai gave no indication that he had even heard Max' question, which didn't disturb the cheerful blond blader the least. He was used to Kai's behaviour.

Rei's stool scraped over the floor as he also got up from the table: "I'm going too. Dizzi, thank you for helping Drigger out at the World Championship."

"It was my pleasure," the laptop answered.

Rei and Max left the room for the dormitory and Kai stepped out of the kitchen into the garden. He needed a calm nighttime stroll to rearrange his thoughts. Dizzi's talk had given him much to think of. As he passed the small pond glittering in the moonlight, he heard the dimmed voices of Kenny and Hilary in the kitchen accompanied by clappering of dishes. He took his stroll farther down the garden and then out onto the still streets of the city.

As he returned into the kitchen some indefinitable time later, Hilary had left and Kenny leaned on the table, his head resting on his forearms, snoring faintly.

The laptop was standing open. Kenny must have slept in while working, Kai thought. A screensaver showing some Beybattle was active and Kai proudly recognised his Dranzer fighting. He couldn't discern who his opponent was, because the scenery changed and revealed Draciel fighting Michel's Trygle.

Pensievely Kai stared at the laptop for some time, as suddenly a small voice piped up.

"What's up, Kai?" The screensaver vanished and revealed the moving diagram of Dizzi. Instantly he realised that it was Dizzi who had spoken. He hadn't recognised her whispering voice at first.

"Nothing," he answered coolly, disgruntled, because she had taken him by surprise.

"I see." The laptop whispered, but he knew Dizzi didn't believe his words.

Kai stared at the laptop for a few minutes, then he opened his mouth again: "I might have some question."

"Feel free to ask." Dizzi whispered, "Please take me to the other side of the table, so I don't have to whisper. And do it without waking Kenny up, he doesn't like me being touched by anyone else. He's quite possesive you know…"

Kai only nodded sharply, his eyes narrowed. _Does she think I'm stupid?_ _I also would get mad if someone tried to touch my Dranzer. _

With slow, precise movements he pulled the laptop away from Kenny and sat down with it at the other side of the table.

Dizzi sighed inwardly. Kai was being difficult again. He sat there, staring at her with his arms crossed and watched the different Beybattles as the screensaver again got active after several minutes of silence.

Dizzi watched the lights of the screensaver play over the pale skin of Kai's face. She purposedly showed him mostly his own battles to see how he reacted. She thought she might have seen some sliver of of emotion in his grey eyes, when he saw his defeats, but in truth his face remained unreadable.

She grew bored, waiting for him to finally speak, so she put in videos of himself and Black Dranzer. Immediately upon seeing the pictures he flinched noticeabley. Out of sole interest she showed him the pictures again. Kai didn't flinch again, but visibly tensed. Yet his guarded expression didn't fade and his mouth remained shut.

She put in his once victory over Tyson, then again the Black Dranzer videos, seeing him scowling upon the pictures and pressing his lips together, but otherwise the slate-and black haired boy showed no reaction.

Suddenly she felt the presence of Dranzer tugging at her. She shifted her attention to her fellow bitbeast, who had made his presence known in her laptop's little 'chatroom'.

_What the holy fire do you think you are doing! _

_I'm trying to get some reaction out of the ice captain. _Dizzi answered calmly, _he wanted to ask me something, but hasn't said a word.. _

Dranzer growled. _You know that he will talk when he is ready. And just for you to know, he is not the heartless ice captain you imagine him to be! There is a very hot flame burning…_

…_inside him, yes I know Dranzer_, Dizzi interrupted wearily, _you have told me so very often already. _

_Seemingly not nearly often enough! _Dranzer exclaimed, _You have no right to torture him like that! Don't you think that these awful pictures haunt his dreams often enough? He hasn't ceased feeling guilty!_

A new voice charged into the conversation, slow, but angry. _Not guitly enough! I cannot see how you can forgive him so easily, Dranzer. He has betrayed you for that evil creature that claims even your name! _

_Shut up, Draciel! _the phoenix exclaimed hotly, _You don't know what you talk abou! Your boy is a little sunny nature, never had anything bad happened to him. How should you know what it feels like! _

Draciel spoke far slower and calmer than Dranzer as he answered him, _You seem to think that Max character is shallow just because there is not so much pain in his soul. I assure you that Max is in his depth as complex as Kai is. And, in contrary, he is at least loyal to me! _

Dizzi could feel the phoenix fuming. _Dranzer, please calm down, my processor is overheating. _

_And Kai is gripping my blade so tightly, it must be crushing soon! Stop showing him these pictures! _Dranzer shouted _Can't you see that my little phoenix is suffering! _

Dizzi ..relented and changed the videos showing in the screensaver to some neutral ones, partly because Dranzer had asked her to, partly because she had sensed the tension in the boy increasing over the few seconds that the bitbeast's conversation had dured. Unfortunately, Kai did not relax, but the pain of seen pictures was still visible in his steelgray eyes.

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A/N: More of shorter chappie this time. Did you like the bitbeasts? I think it was fun writing them talk. I imagine them somehow connecting together in Dizzi's laptop, like a little chatroom, where the bitbeasts remain in their blades and still have these little meetings... 


	4. Still I Rise

Disclaimer: I don't own it

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**Chapter 3**

Unfortunately, Kai did not relax, but the pain of seen pictures was still visible in his steel gray eyes.

The bit beasts' conversation went on, as Driger joined the 'chatroom'.

_Hi there, _the tiger purred, _nice meeting we have here today…_

_Very nice… _Dranzer said sarcastically _I can't image something better._

_Oh, oh, has this Dranzer being in ' pyre-mode' something to do with little Kai sitting here and staring at the laptop? _Driger inquired.

_I'm not on edge! _The phoenix cried, but no one paid attention to him.

_Yes, _Dizzi answered to Driger's question, _Kai wanted to ask me something, but he hasn't opened his mouth till now… _

_She has been showing him videos of him with Black Dranzer on the screensaver and hurt him_, Dranzer shouted accusingly.

_Well, that right she has, _Driger stated, _Kai threatened us all with his actions then. He almost assimilated US in that evil bit beast. Even you had to fight against him. _

Draciel agreed, but Dragoon joined the conversation. _Kai found to his senses again and returned. In my eyes that counts more for him than his treason._

Draciel slowly disagreed _I think it does not. Loyalty is the most important quality of friendship and he betrayed his friends, us and even you, Dranzer. _

_Everyone deserves a second chance! _Dranzer said hotly. _It hurt me that he left me, yes, but it was not his fault. It was this mutilated Black Dranzer. Kai really repents his actions, and, in my opinion he always deserves a second chance! A phoenix has to burn to be reborn again! _

Dizzi sighed and produced her motherly side. _Let me try something._

Kai opened his eyes and almost jumped at the sight that greeted him on the laptop's screen. Some writing slowly wandered across it.

…

You may write me down in history

With your bitter, twisted lies,

You may trod me in the very dirt

But still, like dust, I'll rise

You may shoot me with your words,

You may cut me with your eyes,

You may kill me with your hatefulness,

But still, like air, I'll rise.

Out of the huts of history's shame

I rise

Up from a past that's rooted in pain

I rise

I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,

Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear

I rise

Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,

I am the dream and the hope of the slave.

I rise

I rise

I rise

A/N: This is an excerpt of a poem from Maya Angelou, Still I rise

"Dizzi?" Kai asked, surprise audible in his cool voice.

_Finally a good idea of you laptop head, Dizzi._

_Hey, no insults, Dranzer. I was only trying to help. _

"Do you like it?" Dizzi answered.

Kai nodded, but his eyes, which had lit up for the part of a second, clouded again.

"I betrayed Dranzer, when I got hold of Black Dranzer. I thought he might not even return to me…"

"Dranzer?" He took the blade that he had been holding on to out of the pocket and looked at it. Then he looked at the laptop again. His voice was almost soft as he spoke: "Dizzi, was that Dranzer? The way my blade suddenly grew warmer? "

_Of course I was! What did he think? _Dranzer said.

"Yes, Kai, that was Dranzer." Dizzi told him.

"I'm so sorry." Kai's voice was husky, as if unused to such words.

"We know…it was his way of telling you that he has forgiven you."

"Dranzer…" Guilt shone through Kai's gray eyes.

They grew silent again, Kai seemingly in deep thought, the bitbeasts calm and waiting.

"Kai?" Dizzi asked almost timidly after some time.

"Hn?"

"You wanted to ask me something. "

"Yes," he answered, not looking at laptop screen, but on some spot at the table. He didn't ask his question.

_The boy is going to annoy me, _Dizzi told the bit beasts.

_Give him a little time; it's maybe not so easy for him. _Drigger said.

_I think I'm going to try something, _Dizzi said.

Dranzer was about to protest, but Dizzi was faster.

"I'm sorry that I showed you the pictures of Black Dranzer, Kai…I didn't want to hurt you…"

Kai looked up to her screen, somewhat startled: "You did not hurt me!" he protested.

_Liar!_

"Well, then I'm glad that I didn't. It's only that Dranzer told me otherwise…"

Kai pressed his lips together, closing his eyes for a second, then he murmured: "Dranzer might have been right." Then he looked away hastily.

_Dizzi, you…! But it worked_, Dranzer admitted grudgingly.

_At least he let his cold mask down a little. It was about time. _Draciel stated.

_Draciel! _Dranzer felt the urge to defend his blader.

_He does not need to keep it up. He is only here with me. It's no one else watching, _Dizzi said, _I mean except of you, of course. _

Surprisingly, Kai spoke: "So, is it true, that you bit beasts talk to each other?"

"Yes."

"And you talk about me?"

"At the moment, yes."

"At the moment?"

"Dranzer, Draciel, Drigger and Dragoon, just came over some minutes ago, to visit my in my little chatroom. And today, our topic of conversation is you. What is, of course, very understandable, you being the only one still awake."

Kai crossed his arms sternly: "And what are you talking about me?"

_Don't you say anything wrong, Dizzi! _Dranzer threatened _Or I will grill you in this laptop. _

_Calm down, Dranzer, _Draciel said, _no need to be so protective._

_I only want you to be nice to my Kai once in a while! _

_Hn. Why should I? _Draciel asked.

_Shut up, both of you. _Drigger snarled. _You are disturbing my purring. _

"Do you really want to know?" Dizzi asked playfully.

"Yes," Kai nodded sternly.

"Really sure…?" she asked.

_Don't tease him! _

_He needs it._

"Yes," Kai relaxed a bit.

_See?_

"It was nothing really bad, you know. Except of that little incident in Russia, but Dranzer seems to be the one who has forgiven you in no time."

Kai's eyes darkened again: "And the others?"

"Are mainly glad that you are back on the team again. "

"It's good that they worked together to defeat Black Dranzer. I don't want to believe I tried to assimilate them all…"

_It's just because he wanted to be near me again. _Dranzer joked.

"Dranzer said that you just wanted to be near him again…" Dizzi told him.

"It's not an excuse," Kai said heavily," but I was kind of …crazed out at the time… I'm not proud of what I did."

"The shock of hurting memories returning surely stressed you up…"

"The others still consider me a friend, after all I have done." Kai said.

"This is not exactly the attitude you grew up with, is it?"

Kai shook his head, his eyes again filling with dreadful shadows. His voice was cold again, as he talked: "Rule number one: Don't lose. Rule number two: Don't show emotions, because they make you lose. Rule number three: A loser is worth nothing. Being friends was not a topic in the abbey, being strong was. The strong stuck together in their contempt for the weak, and who was weak didn't survive long."

_My, my, _Dizzi wondered_, the boy is being in communicative mood today…_

_Maybe because he is so tired…_Drigger grinned.

"But that's over now, isn't it?" Dizzi asked.

Kai's face showed if not a smile, a contented calmness: "I guess it is. It feels strange to be accepted by others. Not feared or tolerated. Only accepted." A quick, shy smile flashed across his shark-fin painted face, "I might get used to that…"

* * *

A/N: I hope I didn't make too many mistakes (Englisch is not my mother tongue). Anyway, feel free to tell me if you jump across some grave mistakes. 


	5. Kai and Dizzi

Disclaimer: I don't own it

* * *

**Chapter 4**

"What I actually wanted to ask," Kai quietly continued after a while. Dizzi could tell that it cost him courage to ask this question. "Did you ever talk to him? Black Dranzer, I mean." He quickly broke off.

"Speak to him? No, never, but his evil call was heard far and wide…" Even Dizzi's metallic voice trembled at the mention, "And it gave me the creeps, even secured in this laptop. Black Dranzer's biggest power lay in fear, in frightening his opponents to death with his cry. It's a twisted version of the phoenix song, which has the power to soothe… Dranzer can sing the phoenix song too," Dizzi added, suddenly sounding amused, "if he sets his mind on calming…" she chuckled, "but normally he is a rather a hothead…"

_I am not a hothead! _Dranzer's flaming protest soared through the laptop.

Drigger chuckled. _More like a spitfire…_

"Whereas spreading anguish," her voice was serious again, "was Black Dranzer's special power. Every healthy bit beast feared Black Dranzer and that for a good reason."

"I did fear him, too…" Kai admitted quietly, "But his power was so great…he drew me in, he lured me with this evil song of his…and I could not withstand…" A lone tear formed in Kai's eye, but he brushed it away impatiently. "I could not withstand…I hurt so many people and bit beasts with it… I was weak, so weak…"

"You were not weak, Kai. You may have had a slip, but in the end you did not take Black Dranzer. You were strong enough to stand up against Biovolt and your grandfather to put an end to it all. The twisted phoenix's song could not lure you in a second time… and that, Kai, is, what really counts!"

_Hey, Dizzi, listen to me…_Dranzer shouted _I've tried to talk to you for minutes…I don't like to be ignored, just because you are consoling some human, even if it's my human. _

_And I don't like to be interrupted! _Dizzi snapped impatiently. _What do you want?_

_I want you to tell him, please, that we tried to talk sense into Black Dranzer when we fought him, but that damned mutilated spirit was so enclosed in his madness that he didn't even notice that we tried to talk to him. His madness was beyond reach._

Dizzi told Kai what Dranzer had said. Kai only nodded seriously: "Just as I thought. I didn't know him well, I didn't care then. I wanted only to use him, because of his power. But in the end it was like him using me to find an outlet for his power and evilness." He let out a sigh, "Sounds like a bad excuse for my behaviour …my will being controlled by an evil phoenix song…"

He breathed in deeply, then continued. "What else I was wondering: You told us tonight, that bitbeasts join their holders out of their free will. Why do the caught bit beasts then work for another blader?"

"That is easy to answer." Dizzi said, serious, "They are afraid of the bitbeast that holds them captive. The captor bit beast has to be a really strong one, and those who can be used for such a purpose are cruel, reckless spirits, especially Black Dranzer. The same with Wolborg. She is a very strong bitbeast controlled by a ruthless blader. No wonder no bitbeast tried to escape. Until Dragoon came, of course, who freed Draciel and Dranzer, so that they could unite their powers to finally defeat Wolborg…"

"Wolborg actually is a friend of mine, you know." Dizzi added as an afterthought, "We met many years ago, when both our artefacts landed in the hands of the same shaman. We got along very well and I was very happy that I would see her again when we came to Russia. To my great disfavour, I couldn't reach her. I believe she was shielded by an evil device of Biovolt. Their aim was to turn her mad and cruel by isolating her from her fellow spirits…I miss her very much sometimes…It's a pity that we were separated in the first way… You know, the tribe of our shaman went to war with another tribe. And unfortunately, they lost and in the process Wolborg and I were separated... It happened then, that…." Her voice trailed off as Drigger interrupted her.

_Dizzi, I think you are boring Kai a little bit with your useless anecdotes…_A purring Drigger smiled lazily.

Indignantly Dizzi looked at Kai, who had fallen asleep in front of the laptop in almost the same position as Kenny had, with his head resting on his folded arms.

"Sleep well, boy…" Dizzi said softly.

Dizzi turned her attention to the assembled bitbeasts and cheered. _So fellows, what kind of party are we going to do tonight...! _

Draciel groaned. _No, not one of your parties again Dizzi…_

_Oh, my pyre is burning out, _Dranzer quickly said, _I have to go!_

_I gotta catch the next hurricane! _Dragoon was gone in a swirl of imaginary wind.

_Sorry Dizzi…_Drigger said _Rei is dreaming of this awfully mighty tiger we saw in the Zoo last week... I think I gonna join him…_

They chuckled and Dizzi sighed. _Spoilsports… You know, that's why I liked Wolborg so much, _she called after the others as they left her chatroom, s_he at least knew how to have FUN!. _

Suddenly Dragoon's voice floated towards her, evidently he hadn't left. His tone was low and accusing. _So, you liked Wolborgs' sense of fun?

* * *

_

A/N: I hope you liked it. Enjoy reading! 


	6. Dizzi's Dilemma

Disclaimer: I don't own it

A/N: Thanks to my faithful reviewers Henry the Magical Pancake and M.S.K.

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Suddenly Dragoon's voice floated towards her. Evidently he hadn't left. His tone was low and accusing. _So, you liked Wolborgs' sense of fun?_

Startled, Dizzi answered truthfully. _Yes, what's wrong with that?_

Dragoon's voice came out in a growl. _She having 'fun' almost caused Tyson and I to freeze to death!_

_But…but that was not her…_Dizzi murmured. _It was those Biovolt people who controlled her!_

Dragoonanswered in a hard tone. _Don't be so sure there! When I met her, she knew pretty well what she was doing! _

_No, she didn't! They had done something to her…turned her mad and cruel, those scientists did. Yes, that's what they did! _

Dragoon snorted derisively._ She certainly wasn't mad! But cruel, yes! You've seen how cruel she was, haven't you? Better believe it, Dizzi! _

Dizzi almost seemed to be pleading to Dragoon . _It was not her fault! She was turned so mad that she couldn't tell good from evil! _

Wolborg knew, Dizzi! And she was not as mad as you believe. At least, she sounded pretty normal to me!

_She talked to you? _Dizzi asked slowly, as if unbelieving of what Dragoon had just said. _She never talked to me, even though I tried to contact her so often._

_Sorry that I have to disillusion you, Dizzi… _Dragoon did not sound the least bit sorry. _But maybe your 'friend' is not as good a friend as you thought. _

_She is! I count her to my best friends, along with you and the rest of the team! _Dizzi cried.

_One of your best friends attacked a human! That's the worst sacrilege! And she tried to annihilate me! I can't believe that still call such a spirit your friend, after all she has done to us! _Dragoon shouted.

_But…but… _Dizzi stammered.

Dragoon continued to shout. _It's either us, or Wolborg! You have to choose where your loyalties lie!_

Dragoon stormed off, leaving Dizzi in his wake.

_Dragoooooon! _Dizzi called after him, but all the dragon did was ignoring her.

* * *

In his dreams, Kai heard some sort of crackling noise, like gunshots. For a short moment he feared that he was back at the Abbey, but then he awoke with a start, realising that he still sat in the kitchen in front of the laptop. He must have dozed off while talking with Dizzi.

The crackling noise had emanated from somewhere nearby. As he quickly opened his eyes, he saw little lightning sparks dancing on the keyboard of the laptop.

"Dizzi?" Kai inquired, somewhat confused.

After a few seconds the sparks receded. Kai yawned and asked again, "Dizzi? What was that?"

Dizzi finally answered, "S-sorry if did wake you up, Kai…" Her voice came out as if she were choking on something.

Alarmed, Kai asked, "What happened?"

Dizzi sniffed. "No-nothing…"

Kai only glared at her, his grey eyes definitely stating that he didn't believe the laptop.

Dizzi sniffed again and then told him, "Oh, well, if you have to know… I had a quarrel with Dragoon…"

Then, suddenly, she started sobbing. It sounded extremely strange coming from a laptop, but Kai nevertheless recognised it as what it was. He had been at the Abbey long enough to discern every kind of sobbing, even when skilfully suppressed.

Dizzi showed no signs of continuing her story, her sobs taking the place of words. Kai glared at her, hoping to intimidate her to stop sobbing. As it didn't work, he could only stare at her helplessly.

"Dizzi…" he tried, and raised his hand a little towards the laptop. Any other person would look as if he was trying to comfort the laptop. Being Kai, he stopped soon enough, and tried talking "Hn…Dizzi…?"

Dizzi calmed down a little bit. "S-sorry Kai…" she sighed. "It's just that … we bit beasts have our differences as well… and Dragoon, he …he was so…"

Kai never thought he would be one that someone confided in, least of all a laptop. He found himself in a very strange situation. He didn't mind listening to Dizzi sharing her problems, even if it did not interest him in the least. Being around Tyson for a longer period of time made hearing anyone else talking a pleasant experience.

But else the situation left him helpless. Needless to say, he didn't like to be helpless. However, at that particular moment he was too tired to make many thoughts of it. He only hoped that she did not expect him to say anything - he wouldn't know how to react. He concluded that Dizzi wouldn't expect anything much; after all, he wasn't known to be very talkative.

"I don't know why I am telling you this," (This, Kai wondered as well), "… you won't tell it to the others, will you?" Kai shook his head, confirming his promise. Why would he tell?

"We bit beasts also have feelings, you know…" No really. Kai tiredly raised his eyebrow, the hour being a little too late for convincing sarcasm. Dizzi rambled her story in a lot of confusing sentences, but in the end Kai finally managed to extract the story about the quarrel over Wolborg.

He yawned, his vision slightly blurring. He took a few moments of sleep-slow thoughts and then murmured, "Wolborg is a wolf. Wolves obey the pack leader. So Tala is her alpha wolf and she will do exactly what he tells her, when he tells her. Wolves do not betray their pack, neither do they question the alpha. If at the beginning the scientists weakened her Tala would have been the stronger one. Now even if she might have regained her full strength and could defeat Tala, she couldn't do that. Beasts don't battle alphas… " Kai yawned again, but Dizzi remained silent for a few seconds, then she showed a big smile on her screen.

"Sounds good..." Dizzi said happily, then as an afterthought, she added: "You should go to bed, Kai, it's three a.m., and you put training for six…"

Kai yawned involuntarily.

"Good night." Dizzi said.

"Good night," he mumbled, then added, "The others read the training schedule wrong. Training's at nine o'clock, not six. Right?"

Dizzi sent him a winking smile, "Yeah, right." Kai carefully replaced the laptop in front of Kenny.

He stared for a second at the younger boy, then he softly placed his hand on Kenny's shoulder and shook him a little. "Kenny, wake up and go to bed…" He said in a harsh, quiet voice. Kenny sleepily opened one eye and Kai repeated his request. Somehow the words managed to filter into Kenny's subconscious and Kenny did what he was told almost without noticing it. He shuffled to the dormitory, his eyes not even half opened and his feet barely lifting from the floor, but the laptop was in his hands, naturally.

Kai switched out the light in the kitchen and followed him.

* * *

A/N: I don't really have anything to say to this chapter, except thanks Sinead for beta-ing this chapter... 

R&R, Thanks


	7. We Cook!

Disclaimer: I don't own it

A/N: It has been quite a while since I last updated. Sorry for that, and for those who have read thestory before: hopefully you still remember what happened. ;-). This one's a shorter chappie, but the next chapters will be up in less time!  
Btw, I rewrote the first two chapters completly andadded some bits here and there to the others. One other reason that kept me from updating.  
Well, then, enjoy reading!

And thanksto my reviewers:Henry the MagicalPancake, M.S.K., Likyuni and Hoobastank2003

* * *

**Chapter 6**

The next morning found Rei waking up in the near deserted dormitory. Tyson alone was snoring away happily. Rei stretched lazily and then got changed into his usual clothes. The headband around his long hair had prevented it from getting tousled during the night.

Sleepily he wondered what had become of their early morning practice. The fact that Tyson still slept, he himself had only just woken, and the others had already left the dormitory, proved that it had been overlooked. Or maybe he had only imagined it. He didn't know and didn't care. Who would complain if he could sleep in?

Rei stretched and yawned again, then the neko-jin made his way into the kitchen, where Kenny, Hilary, Max and Kai were already gathered around the table, being in various stages of eating breakfast.

"Morning, guys," Rei greeted them and went to the fridge to pour himself a glass of milk.

"Morning, Rei…" Hilary and Kenny said almost the same time.

Kai merely nodded in acknowledgement, whereas Max greeted him cheerfully. "Morning, Rei! I just had _the best idea_!"

"Oh, yes?" Rei took his seat at the table and began sipping his milk, contently licking it off his lips. There was nothing better than milk.

"Yeah, we are going to cook dinner for Tyson!" the blonde blader blurted out.

"Huh?" Rei answered. No one could expect eloquence of someone who had just gotten up. And the milk was really good. Kenny and Hilary looked up slightly startled and Kai was about to spit out the gulp of tea he had been about to swallow.

"We?" the Russian asked, after finally managing to get the tea down his throat without spilling a drop.

Max looked at him with innocent enthusiasm: "Of course, we. We are his friends and we have to make up for laughing at him yesterday again."

"Laughing at Tyson is ok," Kai said coldly, " He deserves it for being such a wimp."

"But we have to make it up to him or he won't speak to us now again."

"I don't mind," Kai said, "Keeps him off my nerves with his nonsense talk."

"Tyson was really mad at us, seeing as he stormed off like that…" Kenny added.

Kai shrugged. "So what?"

"He's your friend too."

"And?"

"We laughed at him," Max explained slowly, as if speaking to a little child, "and the best way to reconcile with Tyson is to involve food! So we cook for him!"

"Surely not."

"I find it a good idea." Kenny said.

"Me too, me too!" Hilary exclaimed." Cooking together is so much fun!"

"You hear that Kai?" Max smiled, "It will be FUN!"

"Come on, Kai!" Kenny pleaded.

"No way," came the cold-hearted reply.

"It will be really, really, really fun!" Max insisted.

"You can have the fun for yourselves."

"Don't be such a spoilsport, Kai!" Hilary added, "You'll miss something!"

"Come on, Kai, pleeeeeaaaaase!" Max looked at him with big blue eyes.

Kai snorted and demonstratively stared out of the window.

Rei, who had been watching the exchange with mild interest while emptying his glass of milk, got up from the table to get to the real breakfast: "I like the idea," he stated calmly.

Rei almost winced when Kai shot him his best 'traitor'-look, but he met the glare evenly. Finally Kai surrendered.

"Fine," he huffed, "I'll help you…"

A happy outcry greeted his decision and Kenny and Max threw themselves on him to hug him, but a deadly glare from Kai swiftly stopped them.

"You cook. I will do no more than the shopping!"

* * *

A/N: I hope you liked it! I'll be happy about reviews!  
And thanks to Sinead for betaing!

Faya


	8. Shopping Mules

Disclaimer: I don't own it

A/N: thanks to my reviewers 'elithil' and 'g' and thanks to my wonderful beta Johi!

* * *

"Don't you think we look a bit strange? Maybe we should…" 

"No!" Kai interrupted Max flatly.

"Come on, Max," Rei reprimanded, inclining his head towards the blonde boy, who was walking to his right, "You know that Kai would never step back from an unpleasant task he agreed to do."

_Unfortunately… _Kai thought… _Or I wouldn't have ended up captaining the kindergarten-team for an entire season…_

Max hadn't gotten the point of what Rei had been saying and continued talking.

"You sure you are okay with carrying everything, Kai?" he asked. "I could…"

Kai already seethed only at the helpful tone in Max' voice and, angrily, he cut Max' speech off.

"No, you couldn't!" he huffed.

Max winced at Kai's tone, while the Russian glared straight at him showing his displeasure.

Rei sighed inwardly, but wasn't surprised. Scenes like this always happened, when Kai's innate, admirable pride clashed with Max' innate, admirable helpfulness

Before an awkward sentiment could arise, he interjected.

"Maxie, why don't you go ahead and tell Tyson of our plan for tonight! It was your idea in the first place and you should have to pleasure to tell him. He should be out of bed by now."

Max was all too happy about the change of subject and grinned, picturing Tyson's reaction to the news. A thought reached his mind and the grin faded from his face. "That's not good," he said, "Remember we said it was going to be a surprise? Telling him would spoil it!"

"Yes," Rei answered, "you are right. But," he paused, "you have to consider Tyson's greed… er… hunger. You know, we have to make sure, that he doesn't stuff himself in the afternoon or he won't be hungry for our cooking."

"As if," Max chuckled, "You really think there is a time of day, where Tyson isn't hungry?"

This elicited a chuckle even out of Kai's throat.

"But yes," Max agreed, "you are right, I'll better tell him. We should really keep him away from any food in the afternoon. Besides, he can hardly overlook us. Or rather the masses of food we bought…"

Doubtfully he looked at Kai, and the backpacks and shopping bags he carried.

Silently he wondered if they hadn't exaggerated with their menu and their shopping a little bit.

He glanced at Kai, who greatly reminded him of a misused pack mule. He knew Kai would kill him for thinking that, but the Russian really looked pitiful. Poor (and he knew he wasn't allowed to think that word in connection with the Russian, but he couldn't help it) Kai carried all of their shopping.

A huge hiking-style backpack that was so filled that it loomed far over the Russian's head was on his back. Another, smaller backpack he carried over his stomach, the other way round. His fists were clenched on the handles of six big and heavy shopping bags, three in each hand.

He really looked like a pack mule.

Especially if Max considered the fact that he himself as well as Rei didn't carry anything really. He himself only had a small bag with a new kind of candy (in a deliciously 'apple'green colour) he just had to try.

Upon looking he noticed that Rei carried a small bag as well. Max smirked as he considered what it would contain. From the shape of the bag he reckoned that it contained a flask of milk. The neko-jin seemed to worship the white liquid virtually. He even had his personal hoard of milk in the fridge of the Dojo, each flask always painstakingly marked with his name. And woe betide anyone who dared to drink a swallow without his permission!

Max was amazed how Kai managed to carry the weight of the two backpacks (which alone must weigh tons) and the six full shopping-bags and still be standing upright and be walking even.

With a silent 'sweatdrop' he reckoned that Kai was a lot stronger than he would ever be. Still…

"You are sure you don't need any help?" he couldn't help asking. At least he managed to suppress the considerate tone in his voice.

"Yes!" Kai huffed at Max. "I. Don't. Need. Help!" he sounded very irritated though his breath was already coming short.

Max winced again and decided that now was exactly the right time to take his leave. He should have known that Kai's huffish pride would prevent him accepting any help, even if declining it was totally idiotic. Well, he didn't have to understand everything, especially not his weird team-mate.

He reached into his bag and took a piece of candy out. He put it into his mouth, savoured the taste for a moment and then, with a quick wave of hand he ran off towards the dojo, "See ya later!"

Rei silently complimented himself for his plan, which was nothing short of perfect. By getting Max to run back to the Dojo he had achieved three advantages at one blow: their food would be safe for the afternoon from Tyson's greedy grip; Max didn't have to suffer under Kai's grumpiness; Kai didn't have to suffer from Max being helpful; and last but not least he finally had some time with Kai alone. Yes, his plan really was to everyone's advantage, and especially to his. Perfect.

He hadn't really had the chance to talk to Kai since the Bladebreakers had rejoined for yet another season of blading two weeks ago. Never mind, he hadn't really had any private conversation with Kai at all, who had well kept his distance during all their adventures together.

But now Rei was determined to get the Russian to open up to him. He had always been fascinated by his abrasive team-mate. And actually for no reason he could think of. Maybe because he had never understood the forbidding and solitary boy and mysteries always intrigued the cattish part of him. And Kai's personality was the next enigma he wanted to unravel.

He never had really found a good way to approach his reticent team-mate. He had waited with the patience of the hunter for his chance to approach Kai. (Or so he liked to think. The little voice deep down in his head insisted that his 'patience' had been to cowardice.) Rei had never known what the other boy's problems with trusting and friendship were, himself never having many problems in finding new friends. But after the near-debacle in Russia at the World Championships he thought he might just get a grasp of why Kai behaved the way he did. He hoped that one day Kai would trust him enough to confide in him the secrets of his past. (And this day would hopefully be coming soon).

As Kai's behaviour towards the team was slowly changing, the Russian becoming minimally more amicable, Rei saw his chances to get to talk to him slowly increasing.

Only… even now, when he had the chance to talk, he didn't really know what to say, where to begin. Insecurely, he eyed Kai up. Sweat ran down the pale skin of his friend and Rei was sure the backpack was rubbing awfully on the naked skin of his shoulders and the handles of the heavy bags must be cutting into his palms.

"You're not going to ask me as well if you should help me?" Kai asked somewhat irritated. Though looking forward he had been conscious of Rei's considerate gaze.

Rei, though surprised that the Russian was speaking to him, quickly answered, chuckling. "I wouldn't dream of it!"

"Good."

"You know, there would only be disadvantages for both of us. If I ever dared to make such a proposal as to help you, you'd be totally pissed off with me…"

"Hn."

"_And," _Rei added in a light tone, smirking lazily, "I would have to carry something."

"Indeed…" Kai's voice took on a sarcastic tone.

The conversation ceased again and Rei cursed himself for not being able to say the right thing.

The load of baggage grew heavier with every step. Sweat continuously ran down Kai's temples and his back as the two boys made their way up the rather steep street. Rei, who walked leisurely beside his laden team-mate, suddenly produced a flask of milk out of his small bag. The plastic crumpled, indicating that the flask had been the only content of it. With a practised twist of his hand he unscrewed it and took a swallow.

"Want some?" He pointed the flask towards Kai.

Kai looked at the offered beverage, sniffed, then turned his head

away and snorted snidely. "Hn."

Rei shrugged and took another sip of the milk. "Well…if you don't like it…"

Rei hadn't expected an answer, but Kai gave one.

"Milk is for babies."

Rei screwed up his face in amazement. "Nonsense! Milk is the best!"

They eyed each other with mutual disbelieve for a moment, then they suddenly broke out in a laugh. Kai's laugh was rather short, but even considering the Russian's short breath it was longer than every other laugh Kai had uttered that Rei remembered. (And the insane laughter when Kai was possessed by the evil Black Dranzer didn't count.)

Rei smiled a little at the notion, careful that Kai wouldn't see it. He took another sip of milk, before he asked another question.

"Kai?"

He got no visible acknowledgement but he knew that Kai was paying attention perfectly well. (At least he hoped so.)

"Hmm… you sure don't want a sip of milk? It tastes very good, you know." Rei cursed inwardly, because through some miraculous twist of cerebral convolution the wrong question had left his mouth.

Kai only gave the milk an extra contemptuous glance, but the amusement that played around the corners of his mouth reassured Rei.

"Hmmm… Why, actually, don't you want to participate in cooking? Have you ever tried?"

Kai didn't react at first, but looked straight ahead, not a muscle in his face moving.

"No. I never tried," Kai said suddenly, "Cooking is girls' stuff. It's very unmanly."

Rei's walking rhythm broke for a second and he almost stumbled over his own feet. He caught his balance and quickly fell back in step beside Kai.

"What!" he chuckled, then broke out in laughter. "You aren't serious, are you?"

Kai's stony gaze said everything. He looked taken aback and his silent scowl demanded an explanation.

"You have strange views…" Rei said, flipping his bandana-bound hair, which had fallen forward when he had bent forward laughing, in a practised movement back over his shoulder.

Kai scowled even more, which looked not as imposing as usual, for he was bent under the huge backpack and the dozens of bags. He surely didn't like his views being criticised, especially if he didn't understand why Rei was laughing.

Rei shook his head in an amused manner, explaining. "Do you want to say I'm a, he he, a baby for loving milk… and a woman for liking cooking?"

Despite Rei's light tone, Kai was shocked by the implication of his words that he had not taken into account before speaking. Suddenly he felt shamed for talking without thinking and thereby having insulted Rei. It took him only a small part of a second to conclude that he better stopped talking at all, since he only managed to utter insults. And he really didn't want to insult his, yes, his friend.

Rei noticed Kai's inner draw-back in the suddenly tense line of his mouth and the slight shifting of his shoulder away from him. Even if, or rather, because Kai didn't betray his feelings with word or gaze. Quietly, he walked beside Kai. He rebuked himself for being so stupid to screw up his first chance at talking to Kai, which had gone pretty well so far. He sighed. Talking to Kai was like playing Mikado, one wrong skewer and everything's lost.

Kai, who kept walking straight ahead, noticed Rei's sudden absentmindedness and wondered if maybe he was the reason for it. He grunted, what immediately shook Rei out of his thoughts.

"I don't have any problems with being called a baby and a woman…" Rei started, but his only reaction was a momentary frown that vanished within the second.

"I really do like milk…" he grinned and shrugged, "must be the cat genes in me…"

"Hn." Kai's only comment was. That surely was a good explanation.

And an amusing one too. He allowed the hope that maybe Rei didn't take his comment from before too badly.

"Really," Rei continued, "it would be sad, if only women were allowed to cook. Did you know that most of the chefs of haute-cuisine are men? But a bigger part of female than male population can cook, because of the housewives and such."

"Hn." Kai's increasing reassurance and amusement was definitely audible in his 'hn-ing'.

Rei gratefully sensed Kai's dissipating tension and they walked on in a remarkably unawkward silence.

When they reached the top of the steep street, they passed two elderly ladies, accompanied by three rackety children of about six years. The ladies cast them strange looks, but the children were openly gawping with curious innocence.

Rei looked back over his shoulder for a moment when they had gone by. Thoughtfully he said, talking to Kai, or if the Russian didn't feel addressed, talking to himself.

"Maybe it does look strange indeed that you are carrying all of the sacks and backpacks and I," he had the decorum to look at least rudimentary contrite, "carry only this." He lifted the milk pack up to eye level.

Kai squinted at him. "Do you think so?"

"Dunno. Maybe. I just somehow realised…"

Kai's lips stretched into a thin, but definite smile. "It indeed looks strange. You look very lazy, whereas I look very strong."

Rei thought over it a moment, then nodded. "Yeah maybe…it might look strange… and maybe, just maybe I'm lazy…" He grinned impishly. "But you agreed to do the shopping and I accompanied you only to make sure you bought the right stuff…"

"Just don't remind me that I'm doing something for Tyson…" Kai groaned.

They already neared the Dojo, not only indicated by the road sign, but the gleeful shouting that carried clearly far out onto the street. They looked at each other. Max had just told Tyson what they would do. Rei looked relieved that Tyson's response had come as enthusiastic as expected, but Kai didn't look all too happy.

"Rei…" The almost timid, small tone of Kai's voice took Rei completely by surprise. They stopped a small way before the entrance of the dojo.

"Yes?"

Kai cleared his throat. "Er… Can you… maybe… divert Tyson? I…" he looked away with a rather stony expression, trying not to look to help-seekingly. "I … just can't bear to be seen like this… by him…" He indicated his food-laden self. "Tyson would be insufferable."

Kai squinted at Rei to watch his reaction.

It took Rei's self-control not to laugh out loudly at the extent of Kai's pride. But, truthfully, he felt honoured to be the receptor of such a request. Surely it was a sign that Kai trusted him more than any of the others.

"No problem," he said, "Just wait for a minute, then the path should be clear."

* * *

A/N: this is again a reviewed version of this chapter... it was quite a hard to write.  
So... what do you think about this chappie? The whole story? Do you think the persons are in character? I think I wrote Rei a little differently than maybe others would write him, especially in his relationship to Kai. (it's not gonna be romantic; friendship can be complicated enough.). I find that Rei is the stronger one of the two (emotionally) and Kai rather the insecure type, hiding it behind his 'hn's. As well I try to make Rei a little cat-ish like, in his personality.

"Milk is best!"

Faya


	9. Drowning Blades

Disclaimer: I don't own beyblade

A/N: thanks to Johi for betaing this chapter...

Enjoy reading.

* * *

As deduced from the strength of noise that reached the street, Max, Tyson, Hilary and Kenny were gathered in the front garden.

Quickly Rei sneaked up behind Max and grabbed a handful of green candies out of the bag the blonde still carried in his hand.

"Hi!" he stepped out from behind Max and cheerfully greeted the group. He walked up to Tyson and lifted a candy up to the bluenette's nose. "Look, what I have here!"

Flabbergasted, Tyson stood still for a moment, before he realised what kind of item was hanging there in front of his mouth. With amazing speed his hand reached up, but Rei was even faster and gone was the bonbon before Tyson could grab it.

Suddenly Max realised what was going on. "Hey, that's my candy!" he protested, "Give it back!"

"No! Give it to me!" Tyson demanded.

Rei smirked. "Who catches me first gets the candy!"

He quickly dashed off to the back part of the garden, Max and Tyson sticking at his heels. Hilary, Kenny and Dizzi followed them to see what would happen, laughing.

When the noise had faded, Kai peered around the edge, checking if the front garden was empty. It was.

As quickly as possible with two backpacks and six shopping bags he tiptoed across the lawn and sneaked into the kitchen. Upon arrival he put his heavy load down and took the time to take a deep breath. With his blader-glove he wiped the abundantly running sweat from his brow and from his eyes, where it already had begun to sting. He straightened up and, relieved of his heavy load, relaxed his arms and shoulders. For some moments he listened to the yelling and laughing in the back yard.

Tyson… His voice was so loud that word scraps reached even Kai's ears: "Candy… made me hungry… gonna get food… kitchen…"

Shit, Kai thought, he's coming for the kitchen.

With a quick scan of his situation, he decided to leave the food where it was. He himself fled from the kitchen through the porch door, quickly hiding behind the next corner, as to not be discovered by Tyson. As he arrived in safety, he already heard footsteps and voices approaching. When Tyson had food in mind, he was as incessant as a steam-roller.

"Food!" Kai heard Tyson's joyous yell as he saw the amount of food waiting in the kitchen.

He heard Rei and Max struggling to keep Tyson away from kitchen and food, and several dumps and shouts sounded through the air. Quickly he headed for a shower.

* * *

Some time later, Kai had just been through his warming-up routine for his beyblade training as another blade, silver-grey with blue streaks on it, joined his.

Driger.

Rei stepped up beside him.

"Mind if I join?" the neko-jin asked pleasantly.

His blade, Driger followed Kai's Dranzer through the narrow slalom of empty cans.

Kai shook his head in answer to Rei's question. He completed the slalom and called his Dranzer back. Deftly he caught the blade in his hands, as did Rei, so they could start anew. But before that, Kai decided to rearrange the bottles in a more complex slalom.

Rei watched his friend building a new pattern, anticipating a greater challenge than the slalom before. When Kai was finished and returned then took their starting positions. A short glance and a nod of agreement told them they were ready.

Together, with a loud "Let it rip!" they launched their blades into the slalom.

"And," Rei asked when their blades were safely off into the slalom, "Where is my thanks for rescuing you from Tyson?" Driger zigzagged closely after Dranzer through the cans.

"You didn't 'rescue' me!" Kai emphasized.

"I did." Rei said smugly.

"No!" Kai protested.

Dranzer made an especially sharp turn that Driger was unable to perform spontaneously and sent the White Tiger crashing into one of the cans.

"Mistake." Kai said. "You merely …" he trailed off, unable to think of a suitable word.

"That was unfair," Rei said, meaning the sharp turn, "I merely what?" he asked, lauging inwardly, because Kai's denial made the truth more clear than ever. "I merely saved you from eternal shame? I merely prevented you from being laughed at by Tyson?"

Rei smirked as Driger overtook Dranzer in a sharp turn.

"Looking old, aren't we?"

"You wish!" Kai answered and effortlessly the phoenix took the lead again.

There was a short time of silence as both boys concentrated hard on overtaking the other without touching any cans.

"Thank you," Kai's voice was small and somewhat husky.

"What?" Rei was so concentrated a pearl of sweat had formed on his temple. "Ah," he smiled, "Yes."

They finished the slalom for the third time and then called their blades back. Kai went to rearrange the cans again.

Rei smiled. "It was rather fun, actually."

Kai didn't answer, but set the cans in a more intricate pattern.

"You should have seen how fast Tyson and Max could suddenly run. It was hilarious! If they had this sportsmanship in training as well…"

"Hn." The hope for that was infinitesimal.

"Actually, I was just reminded by them of this ancient trick done on mules and horses... you know, the one where the coachman holds a carrot on a fishing-rod in front of the mule's nose and the mule tries to reach it, but can't and goes forward trying so."

Kai smirked as he pictured a yoke of Max and Tyson pulling a carriage. He himself holding the fishing-rod and maybe a riding cane. A pleasant picture.

"Maybe we should try it with them…" Rei proposed, eliciting a snort from Kai.

"Carrots?" Kai's tone of voice was more than unbelieving, as he went around his training bottles, checking the distances between them. "You don't think that would work, do you?"

"No!" Rei answered, sighing inwardly because Kai didn't really seem to get the joke. "Stupid. But I thought the trick would work with candy!"

Kai stood still for a moment, looking thoughtfully at his bottles, then he picked up some more from a heap that lay farther to the side and added them to the pattern. He pictured the special manoeuvres he wanted to perform.

"That's blasphemous," he then said very seriously in response to Rei's suggestion, "You can't mix serious things as blading and stuff like candy!"

Rei chose not to respond to Kai's last statement, thinking that he would need another way to approach Kai. Jokes didn't seem to get to him.

With a last finishing touch on the cans, Kai returned to Rei.

"Wow," he admired the pattern of cans, "It looks like a butterfly."

"What?" Kai sounded affronted, "That's a training pattern not some useless piece of art or anything! Hn!"

Rei sighed inwardly, keeping his mouth shut and inserting his blade into the launcher. Kai could be so difficult.

Almost simultaneously the blades spun into the training area, Driger staying behind Dranzer, because Rei didn't see a path through the butterfly pattern. So he chose to follow at first.

"Shouldn't you be cooking?" Kai asked after a short pause of immense concentration as both tried to get their blades through the pattern without touching any bottles. He couldn't help the tinge of distaste in his voice as he mentioned 'cooking'.

"Nah," Rei answered, purposefully ignoring Kai's distate.

He steered his blade carefully through a hairpin loop. "I'm only responsible for the desserts, so I start a little later. Got me some free time for training."

He tried to recall every meal and simultaneously keeping his blade under control.

"Hmmm… Max makes candy and helps Hilary and Kenny take care of most of the salty stuff. I'm not sure if I can remember everything, but I'm sure we have," he began to tick his fingers off. "Pasta with some creative kind of sauce, can't remember what they wanted to put in; chicken in spicy coconut cream, Thai-style I think; self-made mini-hamburgers; beef steak with roasted potatoes; lasagne…" he ran out of fingers as he still held the launcher in his left hand. He just started counting again with his right hand, "Roast pork with sauerkraut; sushi… 'le menu international…'" he said, pronouncing the last words with French accent.

Kai coughed, overwhelmed by the crazy number of dishes that were prepared for the evening. Dranzer skidded and threw two bottles out of the pattern.

"What was that?"

"Hn." Kai said, ashamed of his lapse in concentration.

Rei smiled in response. "Thinking of so much food doesn't go well with blading."

Rei used the phoenix' slight un-balance to let Driger launch an attack on him, sending down some more cans.

"Yes," Kai agreed, thankful for an excuse.

_Forget excuse, _he then thought, _no use. Concentrate better. Do not let concentration be disturbed by talking. Must train multitasking more. Concentrate. _

Dranzer quickly found his balance again.

"And you're sure you don't want to participate in the cooking?" Rei asked, out of an impulse of intense curiosity. He really would have liked to see Kai cooking. "I'll be making cheesecake, milk rice, tiramisu, vanilla pudding, banana milk shake… you could help me…" (1)

Kai's response said more than a thousand words. Dranzer kicked Driger so hard that the blade tumbled into the rest of the cans.

Consequently Driger, who elegantly caught his balance, this being one of Rei's special talents in blading, chased after Dranzer who evaded him with a deft feint that caused Driger to almost crash into a tree.

"Hm," Rei mused dryly, "I guess that means no."

"Indeed."

Dranzer elegantly spun up the tree-trunk of the biggest cherry tree of the garden, while Kai thought of a strategy to teach his friend a lesson for even proposing he could do something as 'unmanly' as cooking. Driger speedily followed Dranzer up the tree, catching up.

Rei continued speaking after a while, searching for something to talk to Kai. "Tyson and Hilary quarrelled again," he said.

"Hn."

"I know it isn't something new…" Rei answered. Driger charged and kicked Dranzer from the branch he had been spinning on. Kai didn't care very much, because his meanwhile completed plan didn't involve trees. Rei shook his head. "And I thought Hilary and Kenny had a crush on each other."

"What?" Surprise elicited a response from Kai. Dranzer, whose bird-like bitbeast powers Kai had used when sailing from the branch to the ground, landed safely on the lawn. Instantly, the blue blade spun away to the place where his plan would take place.

"You didn't notice? It was rather obvious I think." Rei explained. Driger swiftly followed Dranzer and they chased around and up the big rock beside the small pond.

Kai shook his head in response.

"I never paid attention." Kai admitted grudgingly. Just when both blades had reached the top of the rock, Kai's Dranzer hit Driger hard, sending him flying from the rock directly to the pond.

Rei suddenly had to concentrate hard on stabilizing his blade in midair. He succeeded and Driger elegantly landed on one of the stepping stones that crossed the pond from one side to the other.

"But maybe there is something more going on between Hilary and Tyson…" Rei reflected.

Kai briefly thought about it, though he wasn't particularly interested in gossip. He let Dranzer follow Driger, forcing the other blade to jump over the water to the next stone. Perfect. His plan was almost through.

"Hn," Kai said. "I don't think so…"

Dranzer had finally moved Driger into the position he wanted him to be in. Dranzer attacked. He jumped from his stone onto Driger's, launching into a powerful straight attack. He hit the other blade, which had had no chance to dodge on the rather small stone, very hard. Driger, who would normally have balanced such an unsophisticated, simple attack easily, got caught with his tip at a ledge on the stone. Kai had known it from his last training at the pond and counted on it. Driger tumbled over and with a loud and rather inelegant splash, the silver-grey blade of the White Tiger landed in the greenish water of the pond.

Rei blinked, digesting what had just happened. "Ouch."

Rei stared for a few moments at the place where his precious blade had just been _drowned_. He then smiled thinly at Kai, acknowledging his friend's victory. "Good move, my friend."

Kai's face twitched slightly at being thus addressed, but decided that what he would have minded not so long ago did actually make him happy now.

"You didn't pay attention," he rebuked Rei.

"What!" Rei answered, indignant. "I did pay attention! You lured me into a trap!"

"That too is 'not paying attention'." Kai explained coolly.

"Grr…!" Rei didn't know what to say to that. He appreciated Kai's expertise in training, but inwardly (what his team-mates probably wouldn't think of him) he found it frustrating to be instructed by someone who was more than a year younger than him in body and mind. Even if he had to take into account that Kai probably was a better blader than he was. At least in some respects. One of Kai's special advantages was his unholy motivation, which was fuelled by something more than mere determination. Hmm… Rei mused, the Russian's extremely fierce blading style was another part of Kai he was so intrigued by. He felt sure that it as well was an important clue to his character.

Enough thinking! Rei decided. His fascinating friend had fascinatingly thrown his blade into the pond and, knowing Kai, the Russian would surely not retrieve it from there. _Dog dribble_! the neko-jin swore. He had to get it back himself.

Kai watched Rei prepare for picking his blade out of the pond. The neko-jin looked about as happy as if he were to eat rotten fish. His Dranzer meanwhile rested safely in his own hands.

Before even proceeding to the pond, Rei took off his shoes and his blader's gloves and knotted the long parts of his tunic at his side. With an entirely graceful movement he swung his long bandana-bound hair several times around his neck. He was used to preventing clothes and hair from getting in contact with the water.

Very carefully the neko-jin tiptoed along the stones over the pond, balancing every step extremely cautiously.

Kai grew impatient only looking at the slow movements of the neko-jin. "The water is barely knee-high and lukewarm," he huffed, thinking that next time he would choose another location to displace Driger.

"The water's _wet_." The neko-jin commented dryly.

He finally reached his destination and bent down to quickly test the temperature of the water with his fingertips. He drew his hand back and, disgusted, shook off the drops. Then he squatted in front of the place his blade had fallen down. He closed his eyes and quickly dove his hand into the water. Even quicker his hand was back out, holding the blade.

"Brr…" he commented, while he held the dripping blade at arms length from his body. "I _hate_ water." A little faster now, anxious to get away from the water, he walked back.

"Sorry…" Kai said, somewhere between being earnest and allowing

himself to be amused by his friends strange attitude. "Next time, I'll send you in the treetop."

"No," Rei declared self-confidently, "next time, _I_'ll bethe one who will kick _you_ somewhere where you don't want to go! There was a ledge in the stone! I saw it!"

"Indeed." Kai lifted an eyebrow, measuring Rei with a teacher-like gaze. "One of the most important rules of blading: know your arena! And: know your opponent!"

"I know!" Rei huffed. "Don't think I'll fall for the same trick ever again!" He glared at the water with utmost dislike.

"People learn best from unpleasant experiences…" Kai smirked.

"I know!" Rei huffed again. Just one moment too late he realised that this statement of Kai's would have been a perfect point to maybe ask the Russian a little bit about himself. What kind of unpleasant experiences he had had to overcome? How did he learn to master his weaknesses? Because as far as he knew Kai had very little weaknesses in blading and that was not only because of his talent. But, as it was, Rei's tongue had been quicker than his mind, and the chance to ask was gone before he had realised it had been there. He blamed it on his slightly irritated temper. Hence, he demanded a revenge.

Kai nodded. "If you want to lose again… I promise I won't throw Driger into the pond again."

He sounded so serious, Rei was helpless. "That will never happen! This time, I'm going to win! Go, revenge! Now." He fastened Driger on the launcher.

Suddenly a loud cry cut through the stifling afternoon heat.

"Rei! REI!"

The training boys looked at each other. Max' voice. Most probably originating from the porch door of the kitchen. Sounding positively panicked.

"REIIIII!"

Kai looked questioningly at Rei. But Rei only shrugged, indicating he didn't know what Max wanted either.

"REEEEEEIIIIII! Heeeeelp!"

"It seems our revenge will have to wait," Rei decided, putting Driger into his belt pouch.

Kai nodded and together they made their way to the kitchen.

Arriving at the open porch door, Rei suddenly stopped dead.

* * *

(1) Please note that all of the desserts Rei is preparing contain liberal and considerable amounts of milk…

A/N: I hope you liked it. I've never written anything similar to a beybattle before.

Next chapter: What Rei sees when he enters the kitchen... The Bladebreakers are trying to cook...hehe


	10. Chaos Made Clear

Disclaimer: I don't own it

A/N: thanks to my wonderfulbeta johi!  
Aeris: Thank you very much for your long review! I has really made me happy. And you don't have to be sorry that your review actually was long! I was really happy about that. I appreciate very much that you did tell me what exactly you liked! It was very encouraging for me... yeah, sometimes I get a bit depressed when I get few reviews, but as long as there are such as yours, I find, that I don't mind anymore. Anyway, I love writing and I will keep writing anyway, so I hope you enjoy the next chapter as well!...ah yes, I speak German, English and French... and you?

so then... enjoy reading. Thischapter is written in a different style than the others.

* * *

**Chapter 9: Chaos made clear**

Arriving at the open porch door Rei suddenly stopped dead.

Kai who happened to be walking a step behind, only just avoided crashing into him. But as soon as his eyes became aware of the sight that greeted him in the kitchen he froze as well in his movements. Completely gobsmacked, the two boys stood and looked as one single word flashed up in their otherwise empty-stunned brains: CHAOS. Complete and utter chaos.

* * *

_Intermezzo: Chaos made clear_

There is a fourfold attack on the senses of our poor newcomers. The sight of pure chaos greets them first. Upon realising what the black smoke drifting out of the porch door is, the sense of smell adds its discomfort, telling that some kind of food is burning to the degree of being reduced to coal. Maybe at the same time, there is an assault on the eardrums, five times louder than the maximum volume of every discman. And there is the unmistakable feeling of dread that grips the nerves of the two teenagers on the doorstep.

The scene presents itself as such:

Currently, there are four people located in the kitchen: Tyson, Max, Kenny and Hilary. And a laptop, that should not be omitted, because of its considerable contribution to the chaos. Thus, making five persons in the total.

Everyone knows that situations such as the given favour chaotic development. And maybe some know as well that the degree of disruption of order (the increase of chaos) increases logarithmically. In other words: if you have five persons in a kitchen, all contributing to chaos, the net amount of chaos is not, I repeat: not, chaos _multiplied_ with five. A chaos of five persons is chaos of one person to the _power_ of five. Which means that every person doesn't add his/her inherent amount of chaos, but the inherent chaos of each person _increases_ with each next person added to the system.

That's the theory. Let's have a look at the practice.

The first question that floods the mind of the two onlookers is: What the hell is _Tyson_ doing in the kitchen?

Tyson is at the moment shouting at the top of his lungs, easily being the loudest of the attendant persons. He bawls unintelligible sounds, but it is clear what he means. He is torn between two actions: first, he is trying to get the food the others are trying to cook into meals. Second, telling from the movements of his hands, he is trying to strangle Hilary. But, as he is unable to do so, he tries to kill her by shouting (evidently to no avail, because no one has ever heard of someone being shouted to death).

Then there is the reason Tyson neither reaches the food nor Hilary: Max.

Max is holding Tyson back. And he is holding a huge knife in his right hand. Fortunately for Tyson, Max isn't _intending_ to use the knife on him. But somehow, Tyson is still cowed by Max, because the blonde blader, who now wears a yellow apron over his orange dungarees, is gesticulating when he speaks (or rather, shouts). Thus the knife is sometimes objectionably near to Tyson's nose.

The knife's original purpose had been chopping carrots. The carrots, some cut into irregular pieces, some cut in half, some still whole lie strewn around the table. They lie open or hide between bags of onions and potatoes. Or in the shopping bag that still is on the table. Or they hide behind the bottle of coke that - of course without lid - stands too near to the edge of the table. Some carrots are decorating the uncooked meat waiting to be processed. In short, the carrots are everywhere but on the chopping board, where they are supposed to be.

One half of Max is trying to stop Tyson. The other is shouting to Kenny, who is trying to shout back. They barely understand each other, but in truth, the conversation is pretty much like this.

Max: Kenny, where is the rum? I can't see the rum! Where is it! We can't cook without rum! There always has to be rum in desserts! Grandma says, every cake needs rum! The alcohol leaves when baking, but the taste remains. If the rum isn't there, we have to buy rum. Kenny, where is the rum? I can't see the rum! Where is it! We can't cook without rum!

Kenny's answer is always pretty much like this: What did you say? I don't know.

A rather one-sided conversation, but as no one understands the other, it doesn't really matter.

The reason, why Max is talking to Kenny about the rum is that Kenny is emptying the shopping bags and putting their content into the various cupboards and into the fridge. He is trying to put things into order. But in the chaos, he is overlooking the fact that in the cupboards and the fridge there isn't nearly enough free space as to accommodate all the stuff.

But instead there is the floor. No one should be made to imagine what the kitchen floor looks like.

Another hindrance in Kenny's task is the fact that, despite Max' efforts at holding Tyson back, Kenny has to be very careful to dodge Tyson's greedy grip. The bluehead has very good intuition and reflexes when groping for food.

Additionally, in between, he is washing the dishes that have remained from the last week. So sometimes it happens that he uses a plate full of dish liquid foam to shield the food from Tyson.

Kenny is shouting as well, mostly for people to get out of his way. His voice is the smallest of all, so nobody heeds him. But as Kenny is a pretty small boy he is able to scurry like a mouse between the others.

Then, of course, there is the girl, Hilary. She is the one producing most of the smells. Actually, not she herself. She stands in front of the stove, two wooden spoons in every hand, trying to stir in three pots at once. The reward of her efforts is – the black smoke irritating everyone's noses.

At least the kitchen is not on flames.

Even though all of her food is burning in the pans, only half of her attention is on the stirring. (Which is pretty useless at this state of cooking anyway. If three different kinds of food in three different pans all look the same indistinguishable grey-black, then where is the point of stirring any more?) Of course it could be useful to turn the stove off, but unfortunately Hilary is too distracted for that. Because? Because she is shouting at Tyson. (Who is trying to strangle her, remember?) And what is she shouting at Tyson? Among all possible, nutty things to do or to say, she is _commanding_ him! Yes, commanding. She is commanding him to help them! She is commanding him to stir, to chop, to mash and to wash up!

A very unwise thing to do. Especially if Tyson is not supposed to be doing any work on this dinner. It's a reconciliation deed of the others for him. So, no wonder he is irate about her demands.

Well, be it as it is. This is the practical explanation of the mathematical theory at the beginning. It should be pretty clear by now, neh? Chaos to the power of five. Just imagine the noise and the smell and the food lying everywhere and rolling around everywhere and people shouting, panicking; lots of colourful pictures, people with aprons…

And, of course, there is Dizzi. Since she can't move around, one should think her chaotic abilities decreased. But fear not! You can rely on Dizzi! She is able to compensate for that. This laptop has very high-developed loudspeakers.

Dizzi is evidently enjoying the whole cooking business. Sometimes she shouts something at people. Something useless, maybe. Telling the others to get to work. Or telling them recipes. But, really, most of the time she uses the laptop's loudspeakers for atmospheric value. She plays music. Very loud, very cheerful music. She doesn't care that people have eardrums or that they are shouting. She thinks people have more fun when working with music. Sometimes Dizzi is singing with the songs but fortunately most of the time, she isn't. It's bad enough as it is.

Her other, likewise not inconsiderable contribution to the chaos is that she keeps mixing up the recipes, giving the poor, inexperienced cooks not one chance to get anything right. No one knows if she's doing it on purpose or if she is just infected by the atmosphere of chaos in the room.

Anyway, no one notices. Because fact is that any kind of information tends to get lost in chaotic surroundings.

So. All of these things of course happen at once. Tyson shouting, trying to strangle Hilary, being held back by Max, who is holding a knife in his hands and shouting for rum. Kenny, who, like a mouse, dodges between the feet of people carrying food from here to there and using half-washed plates as shields against a greedy Tyson. Hilary, who burns all the food on the stove and commands Tyson to help and Dizzi, who provides background music to the shouting and tells people wrong recipes. Maybe now you can understand why the two just arrived teenagers seem to be frozen in time and why they are considerably paler than before.

It takes them only one second to _see_ everything described above.

But it takes them further nine seconds to _believe_ it.

Rei's nightmares had already shown him a disaster in the kitchen, but this reality is something even his nightmares shy back from. But at least he had been rudimentarily prepared. This is why it only takes him five more seconds to react.

Which makes a total of fifteen seconds. Needless to say, that none of the attendees in the kitchen have noticed them yet.

As said before, chaos increases logarithmically to the amount of persons involved. To the bliss of the Bladebreakers there are some people who don't care for mathematics.

Rei is one of these persons.

He surveys the situation for another second, thus sixteen and then decides on action.

First thing, he leans over to Kai so his mouth almost touches the Russian's ear. He asks him for a favour. Kai doesn't even really notice this, as he is still in a state of shock. Only later will he realize that he nodded in answer to Rei's request.

The neko-jin is satisfied.

* * *

Rei drew himself up to his full height. (It didn't have much effect, because he usually stood as upright as possible. But still he did it, just for good measure.) He took a step forward, now standing in the open porch door, surveying the whole kitchen. He drew in a deep breath, stretching his lungs as far as possible.

"QUIET!"

* * *

A/N: I loooove cooking! hihi...

I hope you weren't too confused by the 'theory of chaos' at the beginning, but it really was just for fun...writing kind of 'scientific' stuff. And the practice explains it pretty much, I think. :)  
My favorite sentence is: '... there are some people who don't care for mathematics.'  
I think I am one of these people. I'm not very good at it, I don't like it very much, and I live in the blissful -though illusional- conviction that I don't need it... :-)  
Alas, like in the situation above, mathematics is _really _unnecessary... hehe


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